1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to dynamic process control, especially as applied to on-the-spot manufacture of food products, particularly frozen food products.
2. Background Information
The history of manufacture has been that of a progression from individual, local, hand-crafted preparation and construction to mass manufacture and distribution. For most manufactures, the latter mode is generally characterized by substantial economic efficiency and thus has largely replaced the former. In some areas, such as food preparation, individual preparation of an item to be served is still common although, even here, mass manufacture has made headway, and prepackaged foods such as frozen dinners have eliminated much or most of the individual preparation. While some food products such as meats, pastas, etc. still accommodate individual preparation and flavoring such as by the addition of spices, sauces, and the like, others such as ice cream, yogurt, etc. are supplied in essentially the final flavored form, with little opportunity to adjust the underlying product itself to a particular taste.
Many branded food products are distributed to the end user through chains of restaurants, as well as through individual stands or kiosks, with final preparation done on site. Control of the uniformity of the end products is important, as is the ability to quickly introduce and control changes in the formulation of the product from time to time and even from place to place. This has been difficult to do on a broad basis.
In the field of frozen food products such as ice cream, yogurt, and the like, a significant change in the manufacture and distribution of such products is described in a series of patents issued to the present applicant: see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,030 issued Mar. 8, 1994 to Paul Kateman et al. for “Method and Apparatus For Producing and Dispensing Aerated Products”. This series of patents describes the on-the-spot production of frozen food products such as ice cream, yogurt, and the like in individual-sized servings of various flavors and with the option of additional mix-ins such as nuts, candies, etc. The present invention extends the capabilities of such methods and apparatus by enabling the controlled variation of the production process.